Drug enforcement intensity, not offending, drives racial disparities in sanctions

Evidence

In this chapter, I have discussed several important findings regarding drug sanctions and racial disparities in drug sanctions since 1980. In this time frame, racial disparities in drug sanctions have largely fluctuated in tandem with the intensity of drug enforcement. By contrast, racial disparities in drug sanctions are poorly explained by variations in drug offending by race. Instead, racial disparities are largely attributable to changes in drug control policies and drug enhancement practices. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 1090

Categorization

• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 1090
• XREF: connects to: Crack cocaine sentencing disparity is racially discriminatory in practice — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse,…, 1231